News Releases

Big Tex Grain Site in San Antonio is Ready for Reuse

(DALLAS – November 16, 2012) The Environmental Protection Agency today announced the Big Tex Grain site in San Antonio has been awarded a certificate by the EPA signifying that the site has been cleaned and ready for reuse. Potential uses for the site include residential, retail or commercial, but remain subject to local zoning ordinances and all other applicable laws. The Big Tex Grain site, owned by Big Tex San Antonio, L.P., is located in the 300 block of Blue Star Street and is bordered by grain silos converted to artist studios to the north-northwest, by Union Pacific tracks to the south and west and by the San Antonio River to the north and east. The 7.5 acre site is a former W.R. Grace exfoliation plant and operated from 1961 to 1989. Approximately 124,000 tons of vermiculite ore was processed at the plant and was shipped from the Zonolite Mountain Mine in Libby, Montana. In January 2006 the EPA was asked to determine if there was contamination at the location that would pose a risk to workers and the surrounding neighborhoods. Beginning in June 2007 the EPA took samples at the site which identified the presence of asbestos in soil, subsurface soils, air samples and sediments bordering the San Antonio River. In April 2008 the EPA and its contractor began cleanup operations at the site and completed all cleanup activities in January 2009. More about activities in EPA Region 6 is available at http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/region6.html